The present invention is directed to a circuit arrangement for a gradiometer having a superconducting quantum interferometer (SQUID) for measuring low-intensity biomagnetic fields. A pick-up current generated by a gradiometer coil in the gradiometer and which is a function of the intensity of the measured magnetic field is supplied to an in-coupling element which additively mixes the pick-up current with a modulation current generated by a modulation voltage generator. It also subtractively mixes the pick-up current with a feedback current and supplies a resultant current to the SQUID as an input quantity which amplitude-modulates the resultant current with the modulation current and thereby provides a modulated output signal to a demodulator as a modulated voltage via a first bandpass filter. The demodulator multiplies the modulated voltage by a first modulation voltage from a first modulation generator which is phase-shifted by 90.degree. to provide a demodulated voltage and supplies the demodulated voltage via an amplifier to a low-pass filter whose output signal is supplied to the in-coupling element as the feedback current.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,946 discloses measuring equipment of this type for measuring biomagnetic fields on the order of magnitude of 0.1 pT through about 50.0 pT that can be performed in one-channel fashion or in multi-channel fashion. Such measuring equipment are usually composed of a gradiometer of a first or higher order and of a superconducting quantum interferometer (SQUID) electrically cooperating therewith in a circuit arrangement as schematically shown, for example, in the following publications; "Biomagnetism: 'An Interdisciplinary Approach', Series A: Life Sciences", Vol. 66, Plenum Press, New York, 1983, Chapter 4.5, and Erne' S.N., "The SQUID in the 'Flux-Locked-Loop'", pages 81-83. A circuit arrangement of this type in analog technology particularly has the disadvantage that imprecisions, especially due to a drifting D.C. voltage offset of a final amplifier, appear in the measurement of low constant magnetic fields.
In order to avoid these imprecisions, prior art solutions have attempted to compensate for the errors caused by the drifting D.C. voltage offset of, in particular, the amplifiers with complex analog circuits. For example, such a solution is described in the publications; "Biomagnetism: 'An Interdisciplinary Approach', Serial A: Life Sciences", Vol. 66, Plenum Press, New York, 1983, Chapter 9.4, and Cohen, D., "Steady Fields of the Heart", pages 265-274.